How Much Do RNs Make With A Bachelor Degree

Last Updated on December 9, 2022

Registered Nurse is often one of the job titles in a hospital, there to coordinate the care patients receive. They may also work in doctors’ offices and nursing homes. The Statistic Brain Research Institute reports that RNs are among the best paid workers in the United States, with a median annual salary of $66,430 as of May 2012. These professionals often have an associate or a registered nurse degree. Most RNs who worked in hospitals were employed by nursing services.

What Is a Registered Nurse?

A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has earned an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), has successfully passed the NCLEX-RN exam administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCBSN), and has met all of the requirements to become a nurse outlined by their state’s licensing body (state board of nursing).

The scope of practice for a registered nurse is quite broad. RN roles range from providing direct patient care and implementing nursing care plans to directing complex nursing care systems, teaching in nursing programs, instructing patients on disease prevention and health maintenance, conducting clinical research, as well as practicing independently in a variety of challenging settings.

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registered nurse job description

Depending on their location, work setting, and level of education, a registered nurse may perform various duties. While most RNs provide direct patient care, specific job responsibilities and daily activities vary based on the needs of the healthcare team within which the nurse serves, the patient’s needs, and the patient demographics. Typical job duties and tasks of a registered nurse include:

Registered nurses also can specialize in certain areas, such as neonatal, pediatric, geriatric, surgical, and emergency medical care. To succeed in these roles, an RN must possess strong communication skills, be detail-oriented and compassionate, and have the ability to adapt to new technologies, techniques, and medical procedures as they are introduced.

Registered nurses may also choose to pursue positions in teaching, management, and administration. For example, nurse educators are registered nurses who possess clinical knowledge and teaching expertise to help train licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and other licensed nursing staff. Additional roles in designing and implementing academic curriculum for continuing education programs also are available for clinical nurse educators.

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registered nurse requirements

As a registered nurse, you will be responsible for assessing patient health problems, administering nursing care to ill, disabled, convalescent, or injured patients, maintaining vital medical records, implementing nursing care plans, advising patients on health maintenance, and providing guidance about preventative services, such as health screenings and medications.

Therefore, technical nursing skills are a priority if you want to excel at the duties you are asked to perform. This is one of the reasons why the requirements to become a nurse is so rigorous. When a nurse is at work, the lives of their patients are on the line. Accordingly, the top clinical nursing skills employers expect RNs to have included the following:

  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Treatment planning
  • Case management
  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
  • Critical care nursing
  • Hospital experience
  • Acute care
  • Life support
  • Telemetry
  • Patient/family education

After reading the list above, it should be obvious that employers are looking for nurses with a robust set of technical nursing skills. Other “soft skills” and natural qualities, such as critical thinking, active listening, compassion, integrity, and attention to detail, are also necessary to perform the duties required of you. Still, it should be noted that most of the technical skills you need to succeed must be learned through education and professional training.

Popular RN Jobs & Career Paths

One of the most exciting aspects of nursing as a profession is the surprising number of career opportunities available to registered nurses. RNs have the ability to work in a variety of work settings, pursue hundreds of unique credentials and specializations, work with unique patient populations, and challenge themselves daily in an environment that is constantly evolving. A few of the most popular career paths for a registered nurse are listed below.

ER Nurse

Emergency room nurses work as part of a team to provide care for patients with various forms of illness, trauma, and life-threatening conditions that require immediate, emergency attention. They work with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to administer medicine, perform medical operations, clean and bandage wounds, manage life support needs, and provide basic bedside care.

ICU Nurse

An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse is a registered nurse who performs a range of tasks in delivering care to injured or seriously ill patients (patients who have suffered heart attacks, strokes, or undergone invasive surgery). As specialized nurses, their duties included providing constant support during a patient’s recovery, including administering treatment, diagnostic tests, identifying subtle or sudden changes in a patient’s medical condition, and responding to medical emergencies.

Read How to Become an RN - EarnMyDegree

Medical-Surgical Nurse

Medical-surgical nurses manage 5-7 patients while providing care and treatment to ill, injured, and recovering adults. They are responsible for a multitude of duties, which depend largely on the setting. A “med-surg” nurse must be able to administer medication, monitor vital signs, change dressings and provide wound care, implement nursing care plans, and provide patients with education and support. While juggling multiple patients’ needs, a medical-surgical nurse may delegate some basic tasks to LPNs on staff.

Pediatric Nurse

pediatric nurse provides medical care for patients from birth through adolescence, including infants, children, and individuals ages 10-19. They perform duties similar to those provided for adult patients but with the added challenge of administering care to children who cannot clearly communicate their problems. Pediatric nurses must also offer emotional support, education, and counseling to children and their parent

RN Salary -Registered Nurse wages and employment information

How Much Do RNs Make With A Bachelor Degree

RN Salary-How much does a registered nurse (RN) make in income per year? Do registered nurses make good money? What is the hourly wage for nurses? These are questions that nursing students and aspiring nurses often ask. Nursing salary comparisons can also be an important tool to help nursing facilities determine an estimated starting salary for employees. RNs earn a competitive salary, but the income of a registered nurse depends on several factors including the following: location, type of specialization, industry, advanced certifications or degrees, and years of experience.

tarting Salaries for Registered Nurses: How Much Will a New RN Grad Earn?

The starting salary of a Registered Nurse can range from around $28,000-$50,000 per year, depending on location and job industry. The starting hourly wage of an RN can range from $16.50-26.00 per hour. This salary will increase over time as nurses gain experience, certifications, and specialize in a specific area. Registered nurses can also advance their career to management positions, in addition to regular annual raises offered by many employers.

Keep in mind that these figures can vary depending on the location. RNs in Tennessee, for example, may start at an hourly rate of $18-23, while an RN at a busy New York hospital may start at $26 or more. Certifications and experience also factor into the salary or wages. A new RN with a degree only and no experience will usually not make as much as an RN with years of experience and many certifications and an impressive portfolio. Here is a graph representing the average RN hourly wage since 2009:

Clinical & Office Staff Salary Report

Pay Range

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 2.7 million registered nurses working nationwide as of May 2011. These RNs averaged $69,110 in salary, equal to $33.23 an hour. However, while the best-paid 10 percent could earn $96,630 or more a year, a starting salary was more likely to fall between the 10th percentile wage of $44,970 a year and the 25th percentile wage of $53,770 a year.

Hospitals and Doctors’ Offices

The majority of RNs, more than 1.5 million, worked in general hospitals, earning an average wage of $69,810 a year, according to the BLS. Starting salaries at hospitals could range from $47,060 to $55,200 a year. The second-largest number of RNs worked in doctors’ offices, where 235,710 averaged $72,890 a year in pay, slightly higher than at hospitals. Starting salaries might fall in a lower range of between $40,760 and $50,820 a year.A300 mobile placeholder

Other Care Facilities

Three other common employers of registered nurses offered very different types of care. The third-largest employer was home health care, where 156,730 RNs averaged $65,120 a year. Starting salaries might fall between $42,880 and $51,480 a year. The fourth-largest employer was nursing care facilities, where 138,080 nurses averaged $60,830 a year– the lowest figure in the top five industries. The starting salary range was likely to be $43,000 to $50,430 a year. Finally, the fifth-largest employer was outpatient care facilities, where 95,180 RNs averaged $72,220 a year, and the starting range fell between $47,010 and $55,430.

Job Outlook

The BLS is bullish on the RN profession, which is good news for new registered nurses. The bureau estimates job growth at 26 percent between 2010 and 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Improved treatment possibilities and the aging population should fuel the need for RNs. It reports that the fastest growth is likely in outpatient care centers, where patients do not require overnight stays, but growth should be strong in hospitals as well.

2016 Salary Information for Registered Nurses

Registered nurses earned a median annual salary of $68,450 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, registered nurses earned a 25th percentile salary of $56,190, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $83,770, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 2,955,200 people were employed in the U.S. as registered nurses

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